At 6/24/2016 3:41:01 AM, 1harderthanyouthink wrote:The UK has left, according to the BBC forecast.

This is the beginning of the end for the EU.

Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves!Britons never will be slaves!

"The Collectivist experiment is thoroughly suited (in appearance at least) to the Capitalist society which it proposes to replace. It works with the existing machinery of Capitalism, talks and thinks in the existing terms of Capitalism, appeals to just those appetites which Capitalism has aroused, and ridicules as fantastic and unheard-of just those things in society the memory of which Capitalism has killed among men wherever the blight of it has spread."
- Hilaire Belloc -

The result doesn't affect my daily existence, so meh. The British people have spoken. Here's hoping they have more skill at exit plans than we do.

On a side note, Cameron really should have spent more time not acquiescing to these referendum demands throughout his tenure. At least he should have learned after the Scottish independence referendum not to underestimate how disastrous they can be. He let himself be fooled twice. But then, I also don't fault him too much, because the political landscape has changed so much, and few anticipated the power of the politics of fear to manifest itself in the way it has.

Not commenting on the merits of Brexit vs. Bremain itself, because I'm not qualified to assess them, but I don't think anyone can deny that most of the populist-esque things happening now have very strong messages of "X is destroying our country, our way of life, and everything you the voter hold dear. We must avert X at all costs, or this nation will be controlled by X. The other side wants X, and they want all of these things. They want to control you and ensure that you are burdened by X" The other side hasn't come up with anything nearly as strong, and until they do, the politics of fear is going to keep triumphing. But then, fear usually does, a la our last invasion of Iraq, so this also isn't anything new.

On a miscellaneous note, I'm very alarmed at the continued accuracy of The Clash of Civilizations. It's not subtle signs anymore, not in this thread, and not on the world stage.

Farage has a good shot at becoming PM. Labour's screwed because Corbyn stuck his neck out trying to defend the EU, no one cares about the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives are going to fracture over Brexit. I'm extremely worried by this, but no one ever reads my posts, so w/e.

At 6/24/2016 4:21:33 AM, SolonKR wrote:Farage has a good shot at becoming PM. Labour's screwed because Corbyn stuck his neck out trying to defend the EU, no one cares about the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives are going to fracture over Brexit. I'm extremely worried by this, but no one ever reads my posts, so w/e.

Farage has no chance to be PM.

"It's awfully considerate of you to think of me here,
And I'm much obliged to you for making it clear - that I'm not here."